I'm new to the forum and thought it would be helpful to me to put down my feelings, etc. If anyone does read this then hopefully it will offer something to you too?!

I'm Karen (but you knew that already - didnt you?! ) and I'm 26. I believe since childhood I've had an issue with weight. I haven't been big since I was a child but I always believed I was. I was a size 14 eight years ago. I would consider it to be a nice figure, slim waist and a womanly chest and 'rear area'

I started working in a call centre when I was 19 and slowly watched my waist expand. In fact I actually caught my reflection in the mirror one morning and noticed I had a round tummy. I didn't expect it ! Sitting down all day and eating in between calls was a receipe for disaster for me. Not everyone doing that sort of job will have that frame of mind but I just ate.

I waited for all of the signs that it was time to lose weight. You hear of it... stories of woman being at friends' BBQs and breaking garden chairs and then it changed their lives and now they're slim...

I thought my sign was when I set my wedding date. I willed myself to be slinky but didnt sort my diet out to match. I just couldnt bring myself to do it. I was 18 stone on my wedding day 3 years ago.

I thought my sign was when I was offered an extension belt on the plane in April this year. The cabin crew had seen me struggling to pull my belt together but luckily I had managed it (and cut myself in two almost in the process) but when we landed I returned back to my usual ways and told myself I'd sort myself out for my next flight.

I would tell myself 'Ill start on Monday, Monday is the start of the week' and when Monday arrived I didnt start and it would be 'Oh - next Monday then...'

The Friday before my friend had been complaining that she wanted to shift some pounds. I had texted her suggesting SW and that we would go together but she couldn't afford it. This got me thinking... I had just qualified as a nail technician 6 weeks earlier and left my call centre job after 7 years to work self employed and due to the appointments I was already eating slightly less than usual as I just didnt have the time.

I announced to my husband that I would be going to SW and looked up the nearest group which was really close to us and the weigh ins are on a Tuesday morning. This was perfect because I'd previously joined SW twice and each time they had been during the evening and it was the last thing I wanted to do after being at work all day... eating. To my delight & suprise my hubby said he'd join too !! This really was a shock because he's fairly quiet and shy and I was delighted that he would overcome these feelings for me, knowing it was likely he may possibly be the only male there.

So here we are... we joined on the Tuesday... I have lost 12 1/2lbs and he has lost 13 1/2lbs in three weeks. Hubby doesn't have much to lose so the plan is that he will reach his target shortly and then be a target member with free membership and continue to come to class with me.

I'd like to tell you that I'd heard the 'CLICK' in my head that I can and will do this... but the truth is no garden chairs were broken... it wasnt a Monday like I always planned for... but something in my head tells me that this is the time. Wipe away all of those previous attempts. This isn't an 'attempt' now - this is a 'success' story in the making.

Maybe I sound over-confident - I absolutely can't explain it. Previously when the subject of weight loss came up with friends, i'd comment that the only way i'd lose weight is if they locked me up with no food, they laughed but I was deadly serious. I believed I had a problem that couldn't be fixed.

Seeing the pounds disappear each week has been amazing. Yes I expect that I may just have weeks of nothing but I'll promise you this... as the numbers fall I will not see them rise again. I have no intention of un-doing this hard work.

Theres a poster in our SW that is a map of Great Britain and shows two ways, a straight road or a wiggly line going all the way down all the back roads to the goal location. I've chosen the straight line down. Choosing this road means that I can get a slightly quicker result without any lapses. This is not an instant fix but a permanent lifestyle change but I intend to continue to work hard and reap the rewards over the coming months.

SW is brilliant - I feel like I had rose-tinted glasses on with my previous times on the plan because now it just seems so straight forward. We're going to Cyprus in October for our 3rd anniversary (we got married in Cyprus ) and it will be next plane journey since the extension seat belt was offered. I will click that belt into place and no doubt shed a tear :cryf total happiness. We have booked an apartment so we can take some Batchelors Pasta 'N' Sauces and various other bits to cook ourselves. (I love the Mild Cheese & Brocoli ones - delicious!)

I have set myself two goals in the calendar of my phone. I've worked out what the weight would be if I lost a stone a month (which would be incredibly tough but it helps me to stay focused) and the other is what i've worked out for my weight on the same day each month if I lost two pounds per week. If i'm somewhere in the middle of the two then i'll be delighted - at the moment I wont be exercising anything extra than usual light duties so if I fall below my goals I will then introduce it.

I'll finish my first entry here... if you got to the end of my ramblings then well done

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We all have that lightbulb moment I think before we start to deal with it, and then once we get started we wonder why we never did it before. For me it was seeing how well my sister was doing, and then my mother. When they started losing I realised I couldn't blame faulty genes any more !! Keep posting and keep losing.

We all have that lightbulb moment I think before we start to deal with it, and then once we get started we wonder why we never did it before. For me it was seeing how well my sister was doing, and then my mother. When they started losing I realised I couldn't blame faulty genes any more !! Keep posting and keep losing.

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Awww - thanks for coming to have a read !! I consider myself to be a reasonable intelligent person and I don't know why it seems so easy now but I couldn't have done this years ago but I got to this weight.

I know i'm only at the start of this journey but I know its going to happen

Awww - thanks for coming to have a read !! I consider myself to be a reasonable intelligent person and I don't know why it seems so easy now but I couldn't have done this years ago but I got to this weight.

I know i'm only at the start of this journey but I know its going to happen

I was reading how well you've done !! amazing x

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Thanks - I wish I hadn't put some back on but at least I am dealing with it and I am thinner than I was this time last year! You are right we will deal with it - I look forward to reading your success story!

Today I'm feeling really positive I'm really excited for the weigh-in on Tuesday to see what I've officially lost.

I'm going to be honest... I have used my rubbish scales this morning because I just couldn't resist it and if my rubbish scales are right i'm 18 stone 4 - spot on a stone weight loss. My scales seem to weigh me a pound or two heavier than the proper ones at SW but seeing this has given me another mini-boost to carry on.

I went into work today to do a client's acrylics and she mentioned she was on SW... has been for the best part of 20 years. She's a tall(ish) lady and quite slender... I would have guessed a size 12 - 14. I was so suprised when she said she used to be a size 20. Honestly she looks like one of those people that could eat crates of butter and not put on weight. It was inspiring to me and she was just telling me what she likes to eat... etc. Another little helpful boost along my way.

I texted my friend and told her I was losing weight and that i'd lost just under a stone. I saw her last week (first time in a couple of weeks) but I figured she wouldn't notice until i'd lost more but I couldn't hold my excitement any longer ! This is what I got back:

"WOW Karen that is f*king amazing. I did notice I'm sorry I never said too now!! Damn me!! Have you been dieting? Exercise? xxxxx"

She actually doesn't really swear so I take that she is really excited and pleased for me !!

Everyone (who knows - i'm keeping it as quiet as I can for the time being) has been so supportive. I didn't think their opinions would help but actually its really spurred me on.

Can't wait until Tuesday morning... me and hubby will happily pop onto the scales and see what we've officially lost

Hi
Thanks, I really love your thread,I'm new to sw and have recently nearly cut myself in two with a plane seatbelt, was terrified I would have to ask for an extension belt!
Good luck with you weight loss journey
Bron

congratulations, you're doing so well! i've just started SW too, first week over & lost 4lbs so i was very happy about that! next official WI tomorrow night! i also work in a call centre & when people bring in sweets, it's very hard to resist and you convince yourself 'one won't hurt'. a handful later and you wonder how the pack is empty?! lol

ive quite a bit to lose, about 8 stone but SW seems so easy and enjoyable this last week that im wondering how i didn't start earlier, why have i been putting it off so long? i was also a 'i'll start next monday' but there was always a birthday or family meal and it never seemed to work...but this is it, im feeling confident and excited by the 4lb loss!

and it helps to see that someone in the same sort of mindframe and position is doing it and being so successful too, so for the extra inspiration, i thank you!

Well done everyone for their weigh-ins. Mine is on Tuesday, this is the first official one since being back on-plan ( I'm a wee sneaky daily weigher though so I know how much I've lost so far!)

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Hehehe - It's so hard to resist !! I must admit when I first joined SW I did it and didnt see any loss and beat myself up a little about it but now I tell myself that if I don't see much difference then I had better work harder at it - it doesn't deter me !! x

congratulations, you're doing so well! i've just started SW too, first week over & lost 4lbs so i was very happy about that! next official WI tomorrow night! i also work in a call centre & when people bring in sweets, it's very hard to resist and you convince yourself 'one won't hurt'. a handful later and you wonder how the pack is empty?! lol

ive quite a bit to lose, about 8 stone but SW seems so easy and enjoyable this last week that im wondering how i didn't start earlier, why have i been putting it off so long? i was also a 'i'll start next monday' but there was always a birthday or family meal and it never seemed to work...but this is it, im feeling confident and excited by the 4lb loss!

and it helps to see that someone in the same sort of mindframe and position is doing it and being so successful too, so for the extra inspiration, i thank you!

good luck!
claire x

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Thanks Claire and congratulations on your loss - its a truly lovely feeling isnt it!! Call centres are particularly a nightmare because you're chained to a phone... if you're not busy then you're waiting for a call and theres vending machines, etc... I still think its more than possible to lose weight if you're well organised and make sure you bring your healthy treats in x

Hi
Thanks, I really love your thread,I'm new to sw and have recently nearly cut myself in two with a plane seatbelt, was terrified I would have to ask for an extension belt!
Good luck with you weight loss journey
Bron

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Thank you Bron. If its not the seatbelt then as I say, its the width of the seats. Sometimes i'd find that I would press for assistance by mistake because the button was on the inside of the arm of the seat and my thigh would knock it :sigh:

Its all about choices. Yes all that bad stuff tastes amazing but when you have a wobble moment I just have to think...

Have the cake/chocolate/dessert/whatever or have the body you've dreamt of having / cried for for so many years?

If i'm being totally honest - I've had so much of that stuff over the last 7 years that I could describe every taste - theres no suprises. It became a far too regular basis. I just don't need it anymore

Today I've been a bit silly and didn't really have a breakfast. All I had was a banana. I love egg and toast for breakfast and we'd ran out of bread (although hubby failed to tell me this until this morning) so I begrudgingly took just a banana into work.

Once I'd finished work this afternoon I had a few bits... Muller... Hartleys No added sugar jelly (0.5 syns) mini block of cheese (healthy extra)

I'm excited for my weigh in tomorrow but a little part of me wondered "what if you've got it all wrong and you've put on this week?" Eek - don't want to have that thought again!

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